Influence of Culture on Management Principles

The management culture of an organization is largely influenced by its national culture. A lot of prominent analysis suggests that the work culture, and even the outcome of these companies are impacted because of cultural differences.

One cannot deny the role of culture in not only a business but in all possible aspects of life. National culture as well as individual cultures play a significant role in affecting the corporate culture. National culture influences decision making, human resource management practices, and even leadership techniques, besides communication, design, and other crucial systems. Different national laws, rules and regulations also influence an organization’s policies. A corporation is like a sports team,where everyone has a different role to play, but the common purpose remains the same i.e. to win.

Japanese Corporation – Since we are talking about culture affecting Corporations, we cannot not talk about Japan. Japan is one of the most culturally rich countries, and therefore, it’s corporate structure is heavily influenced by it. The Japanese people are extremely hard-working, and value quality over quantity. Every product they make is of premium quality. The work culture there is extremely professional, yet personal. How? Well, an average individual spends most of his time working in the same company he joined. They start treating their work as their family, and their whole lives revolve around it. Which is why, the concept of ‘black companies’ exist. These companies are the ones that do not follow the basis rules of employment, and are extremely harsh towards their employees, so much so that it affects their mental health to a great extent. Companies like Sony, Toyota are from Japan.

American Corporation- The American culture is often said to be freedom-oriented yet competitive. They value privacy, equality as well as informality. The people of America are extremely hard-working, and equally achievement oriented. Perhaps this is the only reason why American corporations are mostly global, and are known for their innovative products. Every sector has an organisation from America, leading or moving towards leadership.

Time is money, for American corporations, which is why logic, skills and efficiency are some of the most common qualities of an American business manager. They are open to changes, and experimenting with new techniques and products if it helps the business.

German Corporation – Like the above two countries, even Germany is influenced by its culture. The culture of Germany is a lot different than the other two countries. The corporate structure of a German organization is extremely formal, and it reflects how much they value punctuality and efficiency. All major decisions about a company is taken by the authorities at the top, and the subordinates hardly contradict the decisions taken by their superiors. Unlike Japanese culture, where organisations try to blend the personal life of their employees to get a better result; the person and professional lives of Germans are rigidly divided. Which is probably why, inspite of working an hour less than an average American they have a greater efficiency.

The three countries we have analysed for today’s blog are extremely different from one another. America, is very different because of cultural diversity and immigration history. Japan, on the other hand, is very rich in culture both in terms of personal and professional. Germans are very punctual and formal, but like their work – life balance maintained.

International Developments and its Impact on India

China

“A human miracle has been created that will go down in history,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping. He announced that China has achieved a ‘human miracle’ of eliminating extreme poverty. According to China, its achievement covers more than 70% of the UN’s goal. President Jinping said, China is now “providing help to developing countries” still struggling with poverty.

While there are a lot of arguments against China’s claim of ‘providing help’, especially when it comes to the ‘debt trap’ that is said to put developing nations under a lot of pressure. China is also trying to intimidate India, by setting up a ‘string of pearls’. This is said to be a strategy to align with nations surrounding India or that were close to India strategically or politically. The ongoing tussle between India and China when the latter banned several Chinese apps and trade, has further complicated the situation.

China’s claim of poverty elimination, if turns out to be true, will increase its influence globally. Especially when it comes to organizations like the UN. China is now the second highest contributor of the UN, just after the United States. This will make countries like India, that do not share a good relationship with China in an extremely difficult situation both politically and economically.

Myanmar

India’s approach about the coup in Myanmar has been cautious, primarily because of its geo-political relationship. Myanmar is also said to be the gateway to South-east Asia. Although the Military claims that President Aung San Suu Kyi was wrongly elected, they have failed to prove their allegations. This has resulted in huge protests by the people, demanding her release and complete democracy. Although countries like US have expressed their concern and condemned the action of the military, India has chosen to walk the safer path. Because of its significant economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, India cannot take a stronger stand like the US.

India’s relationship with Myanmar’s military is a corner stone in its Act east policy. This was done to intensify India’s economic, strategic and diplomatic relations with countries that share common concerns with India on China’s growing economic and military strength and its implications for the evolving regional order. Myanmar has also began vaccination drive in its country with the 1.5 million doses of vaccine sent by India, while putting China’s 3,00,000 doses on hold.

US – Iran

In response to the recent rocket attacks against U.S. targets in Iraq, U.S. conducted military airstrikes in eastern Syria against facilities belonging to what the Pentagon said were Iran-backed militia. The decision to strike only in Syria and not Iraq has given the Iraqi government the time to carry out its investigation. The ongoing tension between US and Iran will have an impact on India, as India wants to improve its economic ties with Iran. In 2019, Iran emerged as the top buyer of Indian tea. The payment for the deal was made by an Indian rupee- based system set up by both countries in order to avoid economic sanctions imposed by the US. Because of its relationship with the US and economic interest with Iran, India tries to talk with both the countries, and has even urged them to keep the tension low.

The US- Iran conflict also impacts economy and trade, as a quarter of the world’s oil and a third of its natural gas are transported via this waterway. 65% of India’s oil imports are made through this route, therefore, if due to military tensions the process is interrupted or even slowed down, will have an adverse impact on global economy. Under such circumstances, a sharp spike in the price of oil is expected. This will lead to inflation and will particularly affect the poor section of society in India. Also, approximately eight millions Indians work or reside in that region. Therefore, India cannot go against or support either of the two countries.

Source- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsDZPOwgygE https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-china-is-taking-over-international-organizations-one-vote-at-a-time-11601397208 https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/president-xi-jinping-declares-china-created-human-miracle-of-eliminating-extreme-poverty-2378250 https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/military-coup-in-myanmar https://indianexpress.com/article/world/myanmar-students-doctors-plan-more-protests-against-military-rule-7203805/ https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/web-edits/iran-us-tensions-and-the-indian-dilemma-6277722/ https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-bombs-facilities-in-syria-used-by-iran-back-militia-101614300364252.html

The Role of Media

Media not only informs people, but a lot of us actually form an opinion based on what is being shown to us. Especially when it comes to international information, where we do not have a lot of background knowledge, we are more likely to follow the path that the media has laid down for us.

In the documentary, Peace Propaganda and the Promised land, it is shown how the media is being controlled by the authorities. The US media, in 1960s, when Israel military illegally occupied the Palestinian land, portrayed the Israelis in a sympathetic light. They not only humanized them but also used terms like ‘retaliation’ for Israelis. When the Palestine land was occupied by the Israel military, they also started demolishing the houses of the locals. The US media showed these demolished properties as illegal and without proper documents.

Noam Chomsky in his book ‘Manufacturing Concept: The Political Economy of the Mass Media’, has explained how Media covers the events that favors the elite class. In the situation of US Media too, power lied in the hands of the owners of powerful media, who owned a large section of media and had major influence internationally as well. Even political elites play a huge role in how the media covers the event. It was a web of propaganda, as American press was influenced by a complex set of relationships controlled by series of such filters. There were groups of Watchdog, who monitored news and made sure it was pro-Israel.

The documentary Peace, Propaganda and the Promised land, also brings under light the strong role of an effective PR strategy. The Israeli Press office used to provide stories to the media. The govt. of Israel had influence/ owned a lot of major American PR firms, due to which they were successfully victimized in the eyes of Americans.

In India, during the Bhima Koregaon case, the way that the media portrayed the incident then was pro-government. They did not talk about the real incident, or the history, instead turned the entire case into a political battlefield, like it does during any such event. Recently a US firm confirmed that the computer of academic and activist Rona Wilson was compromised by an unknown attacker using the NetWire RAT malware. The Washington Post was one of the first publications to cover this development, but not so surprisingly, this story is not considered relevant by the mainstream media. Because of it getting not enough coverage, a lot of people still do not know about it.

Kashmir is a sensitive topic because of geographical location and history. When it comes to violence, the media only shows it when the stones are thrown by the Kashmiris. Although, that might be true, but they never really showed how the army uses power over there. A BBC released video that showed how a military officer was using a resident as a ‘human shield’, brought into light the other side of the story. The officer was later awarded too. A few regional newspapers and locals also used various mediums and somehow managed to bring out other problems such as internet. Media because of political reasons failed to do the one thing that it is supposed to do, i.e report facts completely.

We might blame the media for not giving us factual news, but the major power lied in the hands of the conglomerates and elites who control/invest in media.

Africa: Economic challenges and Global development

Africa was referred to as the ‘dark continent’, primarily because of the savagery and miseries the Europeans expected to find in the ‘interiors’ of the continent. In the 1800s, the campaign against slavery and the missionary work in Africa intensified the pre-existing ideas that the Europeans had.

Forced labor was not uncommon in Africa, but never has this been on the basis of race. These enslaved people were not at all seen as people, but as commodities. They were racially discriminated and were treated as inferiors, this led to lack of education, confidence or overall development. Africa has always been referred as a single continent, and we never really talk about its different countries individually; this is mainly because of the past and the subjugation that the continent has been through. Another reason is that because the massive amount of resources that has been extracted from the continent illegally. Despite being blessed with massive amount of natural resources, like gold, diamond etc, the continent doesn’t own most of it. And in fact, is not wealthy.

In the film Blood Diamond, the oppression and the struggle that the citizens had to face was pretty evident. They not only were made to work, but also separated from their families and even killed at times. All this was done both by the government and their own people who wanted power. They were taking kids and training them to be ‘child soldiers’, they were trained in arms and to be strong and have no pity.

Countries like France, Italy and even Britain occupied parts of Africa because of its natural resources, and cheap labor available. Due to this, the countries faced a lot of challenges and human rights violation. The current ‘look East’ policy of Africa was also because of the past experiences they’ve had with the west. A country is governed by their foreign policy. The policy of Africa and China is that the latter helps the former in terms of infrastructural development. A lot of critics argue that Africa has fallen or will eventually fall in the debt trap that China sets for most of the financially dependent countries. Even if this is true, we cannot deny the fact that these developments were needed in Africa, China on the other hand has set up a lot of its private businesses in the continent as well. Because labor is expensive in China, they use the Africans for minor works, even though the establishment and even the raw materials used to build the infrastructure are mostly Chinese.

The role played by China in global economy cannot be ignored. The debt trap forces a country to follow the Chinese path, China on the other hand asks for several concessions in exchange of debt relief. For example, Sri Lanka was forced to hand over Hambantota port project to China for 99 years, after it found itself under massive debt owed to Beijing. This was a key port as it was at the doorstep of India (China is said to intimidate the country by a ‘String of Pearls’, that it is trying to form by setting up debt traps or improving its relations with countries surrounding India).

Yes, the investment in Africa by China has played a major role in developing, but will that make the country fall in the ‘debt trap’? Or is China actually doing it for the goodwill or business purpose, is yet to be found.

Free trade in Africa became a reality on January 1, 2021. Click on the link to read up about it:https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55334345

Climate change

Initially, Climate change was just a term, nobody used to talk about it. But now, things have changed, with climate change becoming a primary part of discussion between countries. Although it was high time for this to happen, the impact of climate change has been destructive. Not only has it impacted infrastructure but also lives of thousands of people.

India is a developing economy, which depends a lot on the agriculture sector. According to government figures, rainfall and floods affected over six million hectares and caused crop loss in 4.9 million hectares in 2017. Despite such adverse impacts, the issue of climate change is never considered ‘man made’. We always associate climate change as an ‘act of god’, instead of paying attention to our actions. This needs to change.

Climate change has a huge social impact too, we humans are used to a certain kind of environment, extreme changes in the weather might affect us. Climate change affects society in a number of ways; it affects food, water supply, human health as well as other infrastructure. The recent Uttarakhand incident, that took so many lives is another example of climate change. Nobody saw it coming, and till now the exact reason remains unpredicted.

What happened in Uttarakhand has in a way started a conversation, but the question is, How long will this conversation go? Will it stop for some time and start again when we face another challenge? Do all these concerns only come up when something so drastic happens? What are we doing to stop this? Is our policies enough? Well, these are just a few of the many questions that we need to ask ourselves. Climate change is serious, and we cannot ignore it.

To get a better understanding on this, I decided to talk to Mr Subir Chakraborty , he is the Head of Department in Journalism and Mass Communication at Shri Shikshayatan College, Kolkata. He thinks that the the calamities and the conversation around it has resulted in awareness. On being asked on the basic steps he thinks that needs to be taken for a healthy environment, he said that ,“ a sense of responsibility towards society before taking any decision or action”, is extremely important.

The Centre has in some way decreased the funds allocated for adaptation and climate action. The budget estimate for the National Adaptation Fund has been kept to Rs 80 crore. It was Rs 100 crore in the budget estimate of 2019-20, which was revised to Rs 40 crore later. Although, presenting the Union Budget 2020-2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India’s commitment towards tackling climate change made at Paris conference will kick start from January 1, 2021.“She did not recognise climate change as a major threat to people and economy, ignoring the estimates that climate change impacts could cause a reduction of 2.5 to 4.5 per cent of GDP, and did not give any indication of revising its emission reduction targets. The message to the states on old and polluting coal fired power plants is weak and advisory in nature,” said Harjeet Singh, global climate change head of Action Aid International in a report by Moneycontrol.

On being asked if we are on the right track with regard to our economic policy, Mr Subir said, “ Yes. But a mechanism to be developed where people will do everything as a habit and not follow as a directive”, he further added “ Industrialization is a mark of development and it will progress but we will have to make it more environmental friendly”.

Some of India’s climate change policies are :

National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC) & Nationally Determined Commitments(INDC), are both external and domestic dimensions to India’s Climate Change policy which has been articulated through two key documents.
The NAPCC incorporates India’s vision of ecologically sustainable development and is based on the awareness that Climate Change action must proceed simultaneously on several intimately inter-related domains
Target of achieving 40% of power from renewable sources by 2030
Reduce emissions intensity in line with India’s Copenhagen pledge
Add 300,000 MW of renewable energy capacity.
The energy intensity of India’s growth will decline by 33-35% by 2030 compared to 2005 base year, which means that for every additional dollar of GDP India will be using progressively and significantly lesser amount of energy.
The INDC has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy by the year 2030
32 states of the Indian Union have formulated and begun implementing their own State Action Plans on Climate Change(SAPCC)
There is also an active and vibrant civic society which is promoting citizens’ awareness of the threat of Climate Change and what each of us can do as individuals to meet this threat.
A number of policies have been implemented to reduce green house emissions.

Indian states like Kerela, Assam, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu etc have also suffered huge loss of life and property due to the climate change. Initially, all these disparities were blamed on nature but now science has established that humans cause climate change, and that is the sole reason for all these. Climate change is caused due to industrial emissions, and human activities. This makes the earth warmer and disrupts the water cycle, which in turn increases the frequency of extreme weather events. No country is immune to this, India especially a little more vulnerable.

A look into the lives of ethnic minorities (Uighurs, Rohingyas and Kashmiri Muslims)

In today’s blog, I’ll be discussing about the three ethnic groups: Kashmiri Muslims,Uighur Muslims and Rohingya Muslims. All these groups are historically from different regions but are facing issues for being a minority.

Kashmiri Muslims – Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim majority state since a long time. Like we discussed in the last blog, Kashmir has always been a sensitive topic in India. Due to conflicts with Pakistan, the state had different rules/ powers than the rest of the country. The removal of Article 370 in 2018, had a huge impact in the psychology of the Kashmiri Muslims. They feared changes in demographic structure. Other laws like scrapping of Article 35A, will also change the demographic structure, fear activists. Due to constant struggle because of the neighbouring countries, the life of locals in the valley has never been like other states. Imposing lockdown in the region, cutting off all communication lines, restricting movement and putting prominent Kashmiri politicians under house arrest adds to the crisis.

Uighur Muslims – Uighurs mostly reside in the north-western part of China. A simple Google search about them will reveal a lot of information, and problems that the community is facing. Xinjiang, a region with most Uighur population is extremely rich in minerals. It holds a strategic position, as it opens a way to central Asia and Europe, therefore this region is not just the largest but extremely important for China. Uighurs are not ethnically or culturally Chinese, but a Turkic people whose language is close to the Uzbek of nearby Uzbekistan and distantly related to the Turkish of Turkey. They are regarded as minority even though they comprise maximum population in Xinjiang, which they regard as their homeland and refer to as Eastern Turkestan (Sharqi Turkestan).

In 2019, academics estimated that approximately 1.5 million Uighurs and other Muslims could be held in so-called ‘re-education centers’ in Xinjiang region. A report by the New York Times reveals how China organized Mass Detention of Muslims. The article further brings into light that in the name of fighting ‘Islamic Extremism’, the government detained Uighurs. The main aim is to transform and convert them into loyal supporters of the party. Despite media evidence, the government of China continues to deny any such camps or human rights abuses.

Rohingya Muslims – Described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as “one of, if not the, most discriminated people in the world”, the Rohingya are one of Myanmar’s many ethnic minorities. There were more than a million Rohingyas in Myanmar in 2017, but the government never considered them as citizens. Despite being the largest Muslim ethnic group in the country, Mayanmar, which is predominantly a Buddhist country sees these people as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. There are a number of videos and reports that shows how these people have had to flee and live in refugee camps. Kutupalong, the largest refugee settlement in the world according to UNHCR, is home to more than 600,000 refugees alone. But even Bangaladesh in 2019, refused to allow Rohingyas fleeing Mayanmar.

Apart from Human Rights activists, even UN has strongly condemned human rights violence and abuse to Rohingyas in Myanmar including arrests, torture, rape and deaths in detention.

Although all the three ethnic groups we read in today’s blog belong to three different countries; if we pay close attention we may find a link or two. Geography being one of them. Like I mentioned earlier, Uighurs mostly live in a ‘special economic zone’ that is not just rich in resources but is also very important for trade. Kashmir too shares border with China and Pakistan. Rohingyas too are geographically scattered, a lot of them reside in border with Bangladesh. Secondly, all three are religious minorities in their respective countries. Even though mass migration has been happening since a very long time, these people are still struggling to prove their nationality.

India-Pakistan Relationship : A brief history, recent development

The relationship between India and Pakistan is like a cricket match. We all love to win against each other a little too much. This isn’t a secret that both the countries were partitioned, and therefore there are a lot of similarities and ‘sensitive’ areas.

There are a lot of issues between the two countries, and Jammu & Kashmir often tops the list. I have heard a lot of opinions and discussions about this topic, but it always seemed too complicated until I simplified it. Recently, I saw ‘Pradhanmantri‘ by ABP News on Youtube, and the complicated web that I thought of this to be, it turned out to be a story. This story, like most, had communication errors and misunderstandings, it had no good/bad characters, but decisions and mistakes.

Maharaja Hari Singh, of Jammu & Kashmir wanted it to be an independent state. Lord Mountbatten (former viceroy of India) knew Maharaja, so he went there to talk to him. He told him that before 15 August 1947, they must choose a side (between India and Pakistan). During that time Sheikh Abdullah became very influential in Jammu & Kashmir, after he stood against Maharaja. He educated himself from Aligarh Muslim University, despite that he couldn’t get a Government job. This angered him, he questioned the Maharaja and started protesting against him. He was vocal about his secular opinion, and his choice of India over Pakistan.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah soon broke the Standstill agreement with Kashmir, and stopped petrol, wheat and cloth supplies. Pakistan wasn’t reluctant to use force, and on October 1947, they sent their armed troops in Kashmir. Kashmir independently could not deal with the Pakistani troops, so Hari Singh called for help from India. Lord Mountbatten said that they will help on one condition that Maharaja signs the Instrument of Accession. Hari Singh signed it, on condition that Indian troops reach to save the valley the very next day.

Although the deal was signed, Kashmir still remains a sensitive issue between the two countries. Since it is a Muslim majority state, Pakistan argues that it only makes sense if it is a part of a Muslim country; India on other hand says that it is a secular country, therefore it allows Kashmir to enjoy its religious independence.

Pakistan has occupied a part of Kashmir which legally is a part of India, according to the Instrument of accession. Indians call it the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), and the line of control is what separates the two countries.

In August 2019, the government revoked Article 370 , which granted special autonomous status to the state. While the government thought of it as a historic step, a large number of people protested against it. According to a report, Rahul Sharma, a resident of Kathua, who distributed sweets to celebrate the scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A of the constitution now calls the new land laws and the post-August 5 amendments in J&K a human rights violation. He along with many others feel the same. According to the constitution, Article 370 could only be modified with the agreement of the “state government”. But there wasn’t much of a state government in Jammu and Kashmir then. Now, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are separate Union territories.

Apart from Kashmir, there have been various issues that are still ongoing, for example, the Indus water conflict, terrorism, Kulbhushan Jadhav etc.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49234708

Peepli Live : A movie that has still not lost its relevance

Peepli Live was released in 2010, but it is as relevant now as it was then, if not more. “Zindagi ban gayi hai bell-bottom aur khudkushi ban gayi hai jeans pant,” this dialogue very aptly symbolizes the problems of a farmer. Surviving as a farmer has become a thing of the past (bell-bottom), while suicides have become a recent tradition (jeans pant).

At least 10,281 people engaged in farming committed suicide in 2019, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). It is a pity, that despite being a country in which more than 70% of rural women are engaged in Agriculture, women are still not recognized as farmers. Which is why, the data might be far more scary than what it looks like.

Peepli Live is a story of a farmer, who couldn’t pay the loan he took from the bank. On learning about a government scheme that provides monetary aid to the family of a farmer who commits suicide, he starts thinking about it. Like any other issue, this also meets the eye of the media who exaggerate and sensationalize it. Soon it turns into a blame-game between the centre and the state.

There are numerous Government policies that are intended to help the farmers. But only a handful of them have actually proved to be truly of help. A large number of farmers have small or medium farm, they do not have the resources nor are they educated enough to understand the complicated govt policies.

According to P Sainath, water crisis is one of the important problem that most farmers are facing. In India, about 90% of groundwater is used in farming, still there is water crisis. Therefore, policies need to be well researched and must have the capability to utilise the available resources to its full potential.

Right now, when the farmers are protesting against the three farm bills; the movie brings into light a lot of perspective. Although, the situation right now is different but the consequences are pretty much similar. Farmers suicides, issues, and protests, always make news headlines and are hot topics during prime time debates. But instead of providing a solution, the media and the ‘political involvement’ often takes us far from what the actual problem is. In the movie also, instead of finding ‘the solution’ everybody ended up creating noise. Noise that wasn’t needed, but created chaos. They broke the life Natha had, trying to ‘save’ him.

‘My films are my life’ – K. Viswanath

“Movies are visual by nature and visual art has to be aesthetic”, said K Viswanath in an interview with The Hindu, after he won the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 2016.

K. Viswanath is an Indian director, screenwriter and actor, famously known for his incomparable work in Telugu cinema. He believes that he has a life which is no different from other people, his films are his life.“If one is a keen observer, well, he can construct the personality of the director from the corpus of my films,” he said.

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch some of his work, and my whole experience was so culturally rich. People who are aware of Viswanath’s films, know that he was inclined towards classical dance and music. The story of his films provided the perfect base for cultural elements, like dance to bloom. He felt that it is essential for the present generation to know about their cultural heritage, and legacy which is our unique identity. Movies are audio-visual in nature, and visual art has to be aesthetic. The cultural factor of all his films not only makes them look aesthetic, but also adds immense value.

The 1983 film Sagara Sangamam, was a musical drama written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film had Kamal Hasan and Jaya Prada as protagonists. The movie shows how the purity of authentic art is threatened by commercial cinema, which tries to depict the west. It also shows dance forms like Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi along with equally engaging traditional music. Although, the movie is dance based, the story is never compromised. Some of us might see art as mere entertainment, Sagara Sangamam shows us that art and culture are of immense value. Alōng with skill and hard work one should truly be willing to understand the art form he/she is interested in. Jaya Prada, who plays a photographer captures Balu (played by Kamal Hasan) in the best way possible. This was primarily because she recognised the purity of his art, and was passionate towards her own.

Apart from art and culture Vishwanath’s films played a crucial role in speaking about important subjects like religion. In 1979 film, Sargam when Raju (played by Rishi Kapoor) says that he doesn’t deserve Hema (played by Jaya Prada), because he doesn’t belong to a ‘gharana’ like her, and he’s poor. He is responded by saying that his religion is his humanity, which is greater than all. The message might seem simple in writing, but it hits the right chord in the movie.

Viswanath doesn’t miss the connection between India’s scenic beauty and the lessons it holds via its natural art in any of his movies. This connection, becomes even more pronounced in his touching and realistic depictions of social and family life. His characters do not seem sketched or imagined, neither does their lifestyle. Every movie of his has a cultural element to it which is garnished with a strong message, and has a perfect story for the base.

Caste system in India

“ It is a pity that Caste even today has its defenders. ”
Dr. BR Ambedkar

Caste system in India is a complex distinction. This distinction is not based on individual choice or skill, but on the dogma of predestination. A person is assigned a caste by birth, hence, preferences or sentiments have no place in it.

Recently, I saw the movie Babasaheb Ambedkar, directed by Jabbar Patel. Dr Ambedkar was a Mahar by birth, hence he experienced the distinction and psychological trauma the ‘untouchables’ face from the ‘higher castes’. He fought for the people who constituted 1/5th of the total population, but were still ignored and even tortured.

We have all read in our history books, how the ‘untouchables’ were considered impure, and denied entry in temples, or were not allowed to use the same source of water as the Brahmins. But have we ever tried to think the object of caste system? “ It is said that the object of caste was to preserve purity of race and purity of blood. Now ethnologists are of opinion that men of pure race exist nowhere and that there has been a mixture of all races in all parts of the world,” wrote Dr. Ambedkar in his undelivered speech titled Annihilation of Caste.

Caste distinction is the primary issue which has led to other political, economical and social problems. Political parties often in their manifesto, promise to lift the Dalits and other backward castes. But, what becomes even more problematic is that sometimes, trying to fight the problem increases the problem even more. Asking people to ‘sympathise’ might create psychological distinction which never existed previously.

The integral principles of The Indian Constitution, as laid down by Babasaheb Ambedkar were the principles of democracy, equality and freedom of religion, prohibition of caste- based discrimination and legally outlawing the practice of untouchability.

Article 17 of the Indian Constitution says : Untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of ‘Untouchability’ shall be an offense punishable in accordance with law. Another Act was passed in 1989, i.e. The Schedule Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It was passed to prevent Atrocities against the schedule castes and scheduled Tribes.

Even after constant physical and psychological struggle, the Dalit and Bahujan communities still face exclusion in many parts of the country. According to a report titled ‘Quest for Justice‘, by the National Dalit Movement for Justice (NDMJ), “Dalit women often bear the brunt of violence in the hand of dominant caste; violence as grave as physical violence, sexual violence and witch branding. In the COVID 19 pandemic also Dalit women witnessed various forms of atrocities….In the last five years, out of a total 2,05,146 registered crimes against Scheduled Castes under the PoA (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, a total of 41,867 cases (20.40%) were related to violence against Scheduled Caste women.”

The ‘Dalit Lives Matter’ movement, that originated in India after the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement in the US, brought into light disturbing facts about violence against Dalits. According to a report, Dalit women and girls are more vulnerable to heinous crimes of sexual violence, than women from other communities. On top of it, they are less likely to get justice due to patriarchy, corruption and systematic prejudice.